Aibu to think that the Scottish education system is far superior to the English one?

[Margerykemp]

What I see on the news and here about GCSEs and it sounds crazy!
-different exam boards
-modular exams
-sitting exams in different years
-inflexible attitude to deferring entry
-no automatic entry to local school
-league tables
-some courses being 'worth' numerous GCSEs
-going to secondary at 10/11 rather than 11/12
-church schools
-academies
-different systems in different regions
-local authorities not having enough places for all their residents
-a high proportion of private schools, with eye watering fees
-schools making kids do 'Micky mouse subjects' to get them up the league tables
-a ' choice' system which favours pushy middle class parents

• lottery placements

-too big a jump from GCSEs to a level -too few a levels taken -not knowing a level results before applying to uni -Michael Gove being in charge!

I don't know how you all put up with it!

Well I can think of one massive negative - I went to Uni aged 17, and I'd only been 17 a month.

I did the Gcse equivalents at 14, and A level equivalents (CSYS and Highers) at 16 - that's a full 2 years before anyone in England takes these exams.

There are GIANT gaps in my knowledge because of this and I'm positive I didn't reach my potential at uni as I was far too young.

Frankly I've been playing catch up in different ways for more than 20 years.

I found that as well, Laurie. I got to uni and not only was I the only Scot in my classes (Edinburgh uni), I was the youngest person as well. The English kids had done things that I'd never even heard of, even though I had 10 highers and 4 SYS. They also had been used to using computers, I'd never even seen one before I went to uni and hadn't a clue how to use one, a bit of a disadvantage when your essays were supposed to be typed up on one.

Talking of education in Scotland...did you mean to write 'hear on the new' not here on the news..??

news.. Bah!

Laurie, surely if you went to uni at 17 (and a month) then you could have remained in school for a further year to mature? Scottish children leaving sixth year for uni are a minimum of 17 (and seven months) when they start uni.

When I was at school we were told we could apply in fifth year but they reccomend sixth as it gives you time to develop and mature... and it also means you are nearer to (or already) 18 for enjoying the students union!

That aside YANBU op, we have recently moved back to Scotland and one of the key factors was the education system.

Nope, that was me staying on until the end of sixth year - hence the 3 certificates in sixth year studies. There was no option to stay on longer.

Laurie - did you miss a year of school at some point? With a February cut-off for the school year the youngest that you should have been able to be would be 17 by the end of February of 6th year?

Oh yes, skipped primary 5 and started school aged 2.5 years (private prep)

Laurie, did you miss / skip a year of school?

Bear in mind its 23 years since I was at school, not sure the rules were much applied back then

YANBU :)

Euphemia! Another Scottish teacher here :)

Totally outing myself here but because I was still 17 at the end of the first year at uni I wasn't entitled to income support for the summer so actually starved and was admitted to hospital with malnutrition!

The effect of being so young meant I entirely fell through the cracks.

Graduated at 19 though

Hence the reason you went to uni early. This is not the norm.

I went to uni at 16 as well, it's not that uncommon in Scotland. It's far too young IMO.

There are pros and cons to both systems, so I guess YAB a bit U.

As a scot living in england, one thing good about the scottish system is admissions. It's crazy here that children aren't guaranteed a place in their local school. DD is only 2, but the thought that she could end up in a school we have to drive her too rather than the one round the corner seems madness to me.

If you leave after 5th year secondary you will be 16 or 17.

Crikey Laurie, to go from private schooling to no support through uni is shocking. At such a young age you would still have been entitled to child benefit!

I've taught in an FE college recently and honestly having independent young people at 16/17 is not great, I didn't have the skills or the maturity.

Whenever I meet mumsnetters on here that were living independently at 16 I feel sad, particularly as a foster carer to teenagers - they're just not ready between 16 and 18 IMO.

Edinburgh has the highest concentration of independant schools in the UK does it not with around 30 or 40 percent of kids going to them and many of those indies do A levels rather than scottish exams.

Edinburgh Uni used to require the scottish kids went 6 weeks early to study chemistry if they were doing medicine there as the scottish Higher was not up to the standard of the A level but I suppose that is all different now is it?

We had said that Jenny. That is why schools (and uni's) now encourage students to complete 6th year.

Laurier I think you were massively failed by missing that school year. Having said that, I started uni after 5th year, which was also a month after I turned 17, and also graduated at 19 (a couple of weeks shy of 20!), and I know of a fair few others who did the same and weren't held back

I'm glad they're now insisting students complete sixth year - I'm aware that even though I did I am drastically young.

Agree that I missed a lot when I skipped year 5 - its when we did Geography - you would not believe the mistakes I have made over the years with Geography to hilarity amongst my friends.

That memorable board game when I tried to describe South Weden - as I'd never heard of Sweden

Or most recently overthinking at a quiz night that Perth was the capital of Scotland as I knew in history it had been up til the 15th century

all hilarious to others, not so much to me sometimes.

The old 6th year studies seemed to be a waste of time course wityh indies just wanting an extra year of fees. Courses trying to be an A level but not. Maths, Physics and Chemistry were fine but most people would have sorted out they're entrance without CSYS as 5 A's was not too difficult and it seems the biggest lesson learned in 6th form was holding their alcohol and learning to drive.

I think the education system in scotland is far better, from reading threads on mn watching the news, I am aghast at what is ahppening to schools and the NHS in England.

The only issue is that the exams don't translate if you want to go to an english uni as they can't be arsed to understand the Scottish system.

To the poster who went to uni at 17,me too, didn't skip any years and turned 17 in 6th year.

To the poster who was thinking about teaching in scotland, check, it used to be that scottish teaching quals were valid in england but not vice versa because we are superior at that too